Clicker Training for Clever Cats: Learning Can Be Fun!

Clicker Training for Clever Cats: Learning Can Be Fun!

Language: English

Pages: 80

ISBN: 3861279673

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub

There is a method of learning to which no mammal is impervious—not even cats. It is called "classical conditioning," and is used in a very specific way as part of clicker training. Every click results in something positive for the cat: a treat, a cuddle, a favorite game. Because cats are intelligent, they quickly understand what kind of behavior gets them a click and a reward, and they will experiment in order to find out what else might work. This manual explains what classical conditioning involves, why it works with every cat, how to avoid mistakes, and how to use rewards properly and develop chains and sequences of behavior, as well as small tricks.

mouse springing an attack on my cat as he was walking across the garden. Now there are a few feline delinquents who will always go for the human hand, in spite of our attempts to play a proper hunting game with them. Before the next playing session, equip yourself with a clicker . If the little ruffian doesn’t accept your offer of a game with a toy dangling from the end of a rod, but is only watching the movements of your hand instead, you just break off the playing session. After a few minutes,

different actions which have to be learned separately: coming to you, jumping up, sitting down, and possibly also waiting. Developing chains of behaviour 1 The chain of behaviour: Various actions are carried out in a rigid and constant sequence. The affirmation via a click is given only when all the separate actions have been completed. Each individual part of the action triggers the subsequent part of the action and does not require a separate com mand. Once the first part of the action has

addition, affirm any behav iour, except behaviour involving aggression (counter-conditioning): every time this strange cat or dog appears, something positive happens). For safety purposes, separate two adjoining rooms with a balcony net or a cat net. One room contains the ‘new kid on the block’ (the dog or the other cat), the other your estab lished cat. Begin the target training by putting the greatest possible distance between the two. The cat gets a click for every touch of the target stick,

(Of course a cat won’t return home punctually always and every day, just more often!) And many cats who have constant access to food day and night on a self-serve basis pay dearly for this luxury with diseases of the urinary tract. The cat’s bloodstream needs the occasional break between meals to return to its resting metabolism. During the intake of food, cats’ urine is more alkaline. Now it is very important to have acid urine, because the acidity helps dissolve bladder and kidney stones. In a

practice this will look like this: Tiddles comes sauntering into the kitchen in order to collect his dinner. You are wellprepared, with food and clicker, and as your cat is about to sit down, you ask him to do so in a friendly tone of voice: ‘Tiddles, sit!’ The moment the cat sits down you work the clicker (the click ends the action!) and quickly follow this with the reward. Bravo! You have taught your cat to do ‘sit’! Now the sequence is as follows: ➤ Sitting down action + simultaneous command >